Visitors Face Long Waits, Ticketing Woes at July Uprising Museum

A large number of visitors flocked to the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum on Friday, the first weekly holiday since its inauguration by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on August 5. Heavy public interest drew crowds from early morning, but many visitors complained of inconvenience caused by confusion over opening hours, online ticketing issues, the lack of a refund system, and long waiting times.

Families arriving to tour the museum expressed frustration after waiting for hours outside the premises. Some visitors eventually chanted slogans in protest.

Long queues formed from the morning and continued to grow throughout the day as people arrived from different districts. Many believed the museum would open at 11 a.m., only to learn later that visitor entry would begin at 3 p.m. The unexpected delay forced them to spend hours waiting around the museum grounds under intense heat, increasing frustration. Others complained about mistakenly purchasing online tickets for the wrong date and demanded a refund option.

Mohammad Ismail Hossain, a ride-sharing driver from Cumilla, arrived in Dhaka on Thursday night to visit the museum and spent the night near the Shah Ali Shrine in Mirpur.

“I came to Dhaka to see Ganabhaban and observe the changes taking place there. I reached the museum around 9:30 a.m. but found it closed. People initially told me it would open around 11 a.m., but later I learned it would open at 3 p.m. I have spent the entire day walking around the area. Once I visit the museum, I will return to Cumilla,” he said.

Mohammad Al-Amin, who travelled from Savar with his family, said he wanted his children to learn about the July events.

“We arrived around 12:30 p.m. because we believed the museum would open at 11 a.m. If the authorities had informed us earlier that it would open at 3 p.m., we could have avoided waiting in the heat,” he said.

Tarique Hasan Sohel, who came from Narayanganj with his wife, also faced difficulties. He said he was unaware of the revised opening time and encountered problems with the online ticketing system.

“Because of the crowd, I bought tickets online. Later I discovered the ticket was issued for August 9. I cannot return on that date, and now I am trying to find out whether I can get a refund,” he said.

As waiting times increased, some visitors became increasingly agitated and chanted slogans demanding answers about ticket management.

A museum staff member said a notice had been posted on Thursday night informing visitors that the museum would open at 3 p.m. on Friday. However, many people arrived in the morning based on the previous schedule.

The museum officially opened to visitors on August 6. On its first day, disorder was reported as visitors struggled to secure online tickets, found no clear arrangements for offline sales, and waited in long queues without being able to enter. Many complained that authorities failed to provide adequate information about delays and admission procedures.

Responding to the concerns, National Museum Director General Tanzeem Ibn Wahab said the building has limited capacity and was originally designed to operate through a slot-based entry system. However, overwhelming public interest during the first week led many visitors to ignore the allocated time slots.